Soul Bound
by strawberriesxkiwi
Summary: A girl wakes up in the bed of an unknown man, remembering nothing of who she is or where she came from. Just what the hell is going on?
1. Chapter 1: Lilia

_**Chapter One: "Lilia"**_

"Armando." I call the dark skinned man softly, staring at two pots sitting on the stove with a confused and anguished expression.

"Yes, dear?" Armando walks in, tall and confident. His skin shines in the soft sunlight peeking in through one of the kitchen windows. Sunlight is rare in Briggs, snow the more dominant of weather. Armando notices me standing over the stove and gives me a gentle smile, sparking a small flame of irritation in my chest. That soft smile. It always feels so condescending. Like I'm too fragile and naive to understand anything. He walks over to me and gently nudges me out of the way, turning. "The knobs to turn it on are down here, right above the oven." Pointing to them, he has me turn each one by myself and praises me.

The irritation grows but I force a smile on my face, letting him hug me tightly. He goes in for a kiss and I instinctively turn my head away, mumbling an apology. "Sorry...I just..."

Armando shakes his head, instead opting to kiss my forehead down to my nose. My skin bristles in disgust yet I force another smile when he stares at me with such love in his eyes. Guilt breaks through the annoyance and I bite my lip as he rubs my arms. "Why don't you go sit down, darling? I'll make breakfast."

"N...No. No, I can do it. I swear." I insist, stepping out of his embrace and turning back to the stove, hands shaking slightly as I place a pan onto it. _'Don't get burned. Don't get burned. Don't get burn-OW!'_ I yelp and pull my stinging hand away, accidentally knocking the pan to the floor.

"Lilia!" Armando cries out, running over to me and grasping my wrists to look at my hands. I stare blankly at him before it registers: he's talking to me. I'm Lilia. He kisses my fingers, earning a shudder from me that he mistakes for pain. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Armando apologizes repeatedly when I yank away and place my hands against my chest, cradling the burned one. "I was just trying to help..." He murmurs, sadness coloring his deep voice.

"It's okay...It's okay. I'm okay." I whisper, staggering to the sink and turning it on with some effort. He continues to apologizes and I dig my teeth into my lip, trying not to cry. My mind wanders to the event that brought this about. It was only a mere four days since I had to relearn everything, like a newborn.

 _ **~Flashback~**_

"Lilia...Lilia."

A deep voice calls a name I don't recognize repeatedly. A hand brushes over my arm. Is that my arm?

"Can you move...Lilia?" Again, that name is called, holding a weight that I can't relate to. "Move your fingers, darling."

Darling? Who is this person? Regardless, I listen and try to move my fingers, feeling something soft brush against the pads of them. The voice praises me and tells me to do it once more and I obey, this time gripping the soft fabric. A sound of elation fills my ears and my eyes flutter to see a man above me, bathed in sunlight.

"Lilia!" He cries out to me, a large smile tugging at his full, dark pink lips. He helps me sit up from the bed and stares at me with eyes filled with devotion. A feeling that seems to be missing within me.

"Who are you?" My voice surprises me; raspy and riddled with trepidation. My throat burns as though I'd been breathing in dry air for days, my tongue heavy. The question quickly yanks the smile off the man's face and a look of hurt replaces the previous elation.

"You...You don't remember me?" He asks and his shoulders slump when I shake my head. Tears spring up in his eyes and I'm taken aback, irritation filling my chest. Why was he crying? Did he expect me to know him when I've never met him in my life? "It's me, Armando. You really don't remember me?" Once again I shake my head and jerk back when he tries to touch my cheek. "Lilia..." His voice shakes as he withdraws his hand, gripping his pants tightly.

"Who's Lilia?" I ask, furthering his distress. Ignoring his obvious pain, I glance around the room and take in the small room. The walls were painted a dark blue, chips within the paint revealing wooden walls. A small window framed by white curtains shows a land of white, stretching far. "What's that white stuff?" I question and glance at the man who called himself Armando as he chuckles, rubbing his eyes.

"That's snow, darling. You love the snow." He states, helping me stand and walking me to the window to stare outside. I lift my hand and press my fingers against the window pane, gasping at the cold that greets my fingers. Armando chuckles again and kisses my temple, grunting when I push him away immediately after.

"Don't!" I yell and stumble back from him, my legs giving out on me. Falling onto my rear, I feel something hit my chest and I look down to see a necklace resting in between my breasts. "What is this?" I make to grab it, stiffening when Armando yells.

"No! Leave that!" He runs over to me and grabs my wrist, ignoring my panicked shrieks. "Lilia, you have to wear that, okay?! Don't ever take that off! Ever!" A frown settles on his face as he pulls me into a tight hug. "You're Lilia and I'm Armando. We're...We're engaged. To be married next spring." Armando whispers in my ear and pulls away, showing me my hand. I notice a ruby ring sitting on my third finger of my left hand and I pull away, staring at the band of gold as I panic.

"I...I don't know anything about that. Where am I?! I...I don't remember this ring or you!" I exclaim, beginning to sob as I raise my voice and stumbling back from Armando when he tries to hug me. "Don't touch me! DON'T!" He grabs me before I can make it to the door and holds me close as I scream and sob. "Get off me! PLEASE!"

"Shh! Shh! Lilia, breathe! You're okay!" Armando yells over me, wheezing as he holds me down. I go limp, sobbing and shaking violently as I come to the realization: I have no idea who I am.

 _ **~End Flashback~**_

I subconsciously touch the necklace, sitting cold against my skin. Armando's breath brushes against my ear and I stiffen, watching as he wraps his long arms around my waist. "Don't take that off, remember? You must always keep that one." He nuzzles my cheek, planting a soft kiss on it. I dig my fingers into the steel of the sink and try to calm my breathing. He was so clingy. To distract myself, I stare at the photo sitting on the kitchen windowsill and go blank.

There were several photos of us around the small house; ones of us smiling happily. Feelings of unease always wash over me whenever I glance at that smile. A smile on a face I don't even recognize as my own. Armando follows my gaze and hums, reaching forward and taking the photo down.

"Remember this?" He asks, looking saddened when I shake my head. "It was when I proposed to you. I took you to Central for a vacation. You wanted to see it so badly even though you hated crowds and Central was jam-packed." Armando laughs, holding the picture closer to my face. "You were so happy when we got off the train, you could barely hold in your excitement. I couldn't help myself and I just proposed on the spot, right after we took this photo." He explains and I curl in on myself in an effort to escape the happiness radiating off the couple.

That isn't me. This isn't me. The life that he wants so badly with me in this small house surrounded by endless snow isn't me. I inhale shakily as he runs his fingers through my hair, curling the long, dark brown tresses around the digits. I hated it. The mousy color. The length of it stopping in my middle back. I hated it so much. I hated how much he fawned over it; kissing the locks and burying his face in them. But I force myself to endure, for his sake. He pulls away when I don't return the affection, replacing the photo back on the sill and brushing his fingers against the gold chain of the necklace.

"I'll make breakfast. Go sit down." Armando suggests, his voice forcefully leveled in an attempt to hide the sadness. He doesn't turn back to give me a smile and I silently leave the kitchen, sitting down on the worn out couch. I turn to face the fireplace and look at another photo of the couple, this time sharing a kiss. My stomach churns and I quickly return my attention to the window, watching the snow fall slowly. The feeling of wanting to run fills my body and I attempt to squash it down, my mouth running dry. Footsteps stop me just as I make to stand up, Armando placing a plate of steaming eggs and bacon in front of me.

We eat in silence, the only sounds coming from the clinking of the silverware against the plates. I barely eat a few bites before pushing the plate away, the food sitting uncomfortably in my stomach.

"I made your favorite. Why won't you eat?" Armando whimpers, setting his fork down and staring at me with those frustratingly sad eyes. Those eyes that have been staring at me for the past four fucking days.

"It's not my favorite." I growl angrily, glaring at the man that says he's my fiance.

"Yes, it is, Lilia. You always ask for that for breakfast." He insists, scooting closer to me and grabbing my hand when I try to move away.

"No, it's not! Maybe it was Lilia's but I'm not Lilia!" I yell, yanking my hand away and standing up. He follows me out of the living room and to my bedroom that I had begged him to give me. I'm tugged back by my forearm and I whirl around, snarling. "Let go of me! I've had enough of this!"

"Enough of what?" Armando asks timidly, refusing to release my arm. He seems out of breath again, for some reason I don't know nor care about. He tightens his grip when I try to pull away and I scream.

"OF THIS! OF PRETENDING!" I shriek at him, uncaring of how broken he looks with each word I speak. Yanking my arm out of his hand, I reach for my necklace.

"No! Lilia, keep that on!" Armando reaches to stop me and I slap his hand away, angry tears rolling down my cheeks.

"I'm not Lilia!" I snarl and yank off the necklace, holding it tightly despite it digging painfully into my palm. My body suddenly feels light and I notice my body losing color, becoming practically transparent. I panic and glance up at Armando, who's crying and trying to grab at the necklace.

"Put it back on! Please! Please, Lilia!" He begs me, sobbing as his hand goes through my arm.

" **I don't know you**." I whisper before I completely disappear.


	2. Chapter 2: In the Lap of the Envious

_**Chapter Two: In the Lap of the Envious**_

I'm flitting in and out of the world then back out again, the necklace still within my hand. After what feels like an eternity disguised as merely a few minutes, I'm pulled into subconsciousness until I land on something solid and hear a loud grunt of surprise.

"What the hell?! Get off me!" A raspy voice speaks out above me and I'm shoved roughly, hitting the concrete with a loud thud.

"Ow..." I slowly get up, my body sore and obviously bruised, and come face-to-face with a thin androgynous person. I feel my mouth open and close repeatedly, making myself look like a fish out of water as I stare at the purple eyes and wispy hair. They wore black, the two piece sticking to their skin and showing off well defined muscles. It would be a lie to say I didn't find them attractive.

"Hey!" They snap, pulling me out of my thoughts and making me jump. "Who are you? When did Father make another homonculus?" They stalk closer to me, looking me over and stroking their chin. "Maybe another Gluttony?" Mumbling to themselves, they poke my stomach and grin when I smack their hand away.

"Don't touch me!" I hiss at them, getting angrier at the smirk on their face. "I'm not a homonculus, whatever that is! You asshole!"

Holding up their hands, their smirk grows as they chuckle. "Hey, now! You're a feisty one!" They eye me like a piece of meat, humming. "Well, you gotta be somethin' there, girly. I mean, you did land on me without so much as a scratch." They move towards me and I quickly scramble back, yelping as they grab me easily. I flail and scratch at their hand, wincing from the excruciatingly tight grip. "Quit fightin', girly! We're gonna go see Father so just follow along like a good girl!"

My heart drops into my stomach and dread fills my body at the mention of seeing this 'Father', yet I'm unsure why. I can't place the fear and why it seems to grow the more I think about him. Panicking, I smash my forehead into the person's face during my struggling. They grunt and release me, holding my face as they groan. The second they let go, I book it down the street as fast as I can and ignore the yelling behind me.

"Get back here, dammit!"

Fear pushes me to run faster and I pant as I delve deeper into the unfamiliar city, my lungs burning from exertion and lack of use. Weaving through the crowd, tears blur my vision and I let out a choked sob. Where am I?! I sob out harder, not paying attention to my surroundings, and I once again run into something solid. It connects with my chest, knocking the wind out of me and making me stumble back.

"Hey, watch where you're going, dumbass!"

I glance down as I rub my chest, my eyes landing on gorgeous golden hair. It frames a pale, young face, the eyes matching the hair in color and a surge of familiarity charges through me. The teenager glares at me as he huffs out, crossing his arms. Where have I seen those eyes before?

"Hey, are you deaf or something?! Answer me, dammit!" He yells again and I flinch at his tone, biting my lip hard.

"Brother, you're scaring her! It was obviously an accident!" A large suit of armor places his hand on his brother's shoulder, glancing at me. "Don't be so mean, brother." He chastises the smaller teen, completely turning to me and bowing. "I'm really sorry about him. I'm Alphonse Elric and this is my older brother, Edward." Alphonse waits expectantly for me to reply and I realize: I don't remember my name. I begin to breathe hard, alerting Alphonse and making him panic. "You...You don't have to tell us if you don't want to! Please don't worry!"

"I...I can't remember." I whisper, tears stinging my eyes and rolling down my cheeks. "I can't remember anything..." My chest feels heavy and I feel myself begin to break down as Edward yells at me, his tone accusing. It wasn't entirely a lie. I truly couldn't remember what name Armando called me nor of anything else besides me disappearing. My eyes widen and I hurriedly put the necklace back on, stroking the gem.

"Ed! Stop!" Alphonse snaps at his brother before placing his hands on my shaking shoulders, his voice becoming soothing and soft. "Why don't you come with us? It's not safe to be wandering around without your memories." Ignoring Ed's protests, he leads me away with a hand on my back. I glance over my shoulder, feeling eyes on me but seeing no-one that stood out within the crowd. The feeling remains and I hurry after the two boys, clinging to Alphonse's arm as we walk back to the hotel.

Al reassures me with a gentle voice, ignoring Ed's complaining as he places a large hand in between my shoulder blades. We walk into the hotel lobby and I glance around, the bright lights hurting my eyes a bit. "This way." Al leads me towards the stairs and I bite my lip, tugging at a strand of hair as we walk up them. My left leg gives out and I shriek, Ed grabbing me before I can hit the wooden step.

"Watch it." He mumbles before letting me go and continuing to make his way upstairs.

"S...Sorry." I whisper, hugging Al's arm to keep from falling again. Ed grunts in response and stops at the top of the stairs to wait for us. Once we reach him, he whirls around and stomps to the room. I stare at his back as he unlocks the door, noticing how sadly his shoulders slump. I'm ushered into the room, stiffening as the door closes and latches behind me. Why did he seem so familiar and why did I feel such at ease around the both of them?


	3. Chapter 3: Ruined Afternoon

_**Chapter Three: Ruined Afternoon**_

 **Envy's P.O.V:**

I sit on a bench, watching people pass by and sneering at anyone that dared to look at me. Bunch of weaklings, the human race is. Absolutely disgusting. I huff through my nose at the annoying smell of them and keep my sight on the small, blonde pipsqueak named Edward Elric. Tch. I can't believe I was the one stuck on babysitting duty. Just my damn luck. Crossing my leg, I notice the air around me become cold but I ignore it until a woman lands right on my lap from above. I grunt in surprise and snarl, enraged that this human had the gall to touch me!

"What the hell?! Get off me!" Growling, I immediately push her off me and hear her yelp. Our eyes as she stands and my own widen at the sight of her purple eyes, the irises in slit. Just like mine. A grin stretches across my face as I take in her long brown hair, oval shaped face and slightly heavy physique. "Hey. Who are you? When did Father make another homonculus?" I step towards her, tilting my head and feeling smug when she stiffens. "Maybe another Gluttony?" Poking the girl's stomach as I mumble to myself, I chuckle when she smacks my hand away and shrieks at me. What an annoying voice. I hold my hands up in mock surrender as my grin grows. "Hey, now! You're a feisty one!" Laughing, I look over her figure, noticing the baggy shirt and pants. Dirty shoes hide beneath the way-too-long pants and the bottom of said pants torn and frayed. "Well, you gotta be somethin' there, girly. I mean, you did land on me without so much as a scratch."

I move closer and she tries to scamper back, yelping when I easily grab her by the arm. Rolling my eyes at her shrill scream, I dig my fingers into her soft arm as she struggles and flails, further irritating me. "Quit fightin', girly! You're coming with me to see Father!" She stops her squirming and I hum, about to praise her for her obedience when she smashes her forehead right into the bridge of my nose. I let her go, groaning and holding my throbbing nose as she takes off at the speed of light. "Hey! Get back here!" Huffing at being ignored, I wipe the blood off my upper lip and leisurely go after her as I grumble underneath my breath.

I watch as she clumsily runs through the crowd, just barely missing people until she bumps into the one person I really didn't want her to bump into: the fucking pipsqueak. "Tch!" Hanging back as the armor kid comforts her, I clench my teeth and grind them together. Of all people she had to run into, it just had to be them. The three of them walk away and the woman glances in my general direction before disappearing. Clicking my tongue, I turn on my heel and head towards Central. Father needed to hear about this.


	4. Chapter 4: A New Name

_**Chapter Four: A New Name**_

I sit opposite of Ed and Al, looking around their hotel room in order to ignore their stares as I answer their questions as much as possible. "All I remember is someone calling out to me before waking up. I don't...I can't remember anything else." Rubbing my eyes, I try to not cry and clutch my necklace with one hand as I dig my nails into my thigh with the other.

"Well..." Al responds, rubbing the back of his head as he glances at his brother. "We could give you a name. Just until you remember!" He suggests, ignoring Ed's outburst.

"Why do we gotta name her?! She's not a pet!" Ed yells, quieting down when I sniffle and whimper. "Ugh! Fine." He goes quiet, tapping his foot as he thinks. "What...What about Ellie?" His voice comes out as a murmur, a light blush creeping onto his cheeks as he pouts.

"E...Ellie?" I repeat the name, a smile pulling at my lips. "Yeah. I like Ellie." Giggling, I push my hair behind my ear and beam at the two. "Ellie. I really like it. Thank you...Edward."

"Ed. Just Ed is fine." He mumbles, puffing out his cheeks and looking away as he crosses his arms.

"Thank you, Ed." I smile at him more and he huffs in return, suddenly standing. He mutters about going to see someone named Mustang and heading towards the door. "Wait!" Calling to him, I stutter when he stops and glances at me over his shoulder. "Thank you...for taking me in..." I murmur and look away, my face burning.

Al hums, nodding. "I hope you get your memories back soon, Ellie. Until then, you can stay with us!" His assurance sends a warm feeling through my chest and I can't help but give him a small smile. I watch him stand up, following his brother to the door and stopping when Ed yells at him to hurry up. Al sighs, turning to me to explain, "Don't mind him, Ellie. He's upset. But not at you! Just...something bad happened to someone we really cared about and it's really affecting Brother." He whispers, letting out another sigh as Ed hollers.

"Should I stay here?" I question softly and Ed walks back into view, eyeing me. He sighs audibly and nods, walking over to me and ruffling my hair.

"We'll be back soon. Feel free to order room service. Anything you want...Ellie." He murmurs my new name and removes his hand. My head feels cold from the sudden absence of affection but I shake it off, biting my lip.

"Okay. Please be safe." I reply, blushing when Ed gives me a large smile in return. My throat runs dry and I turn away until I hear the door close. The sense of security and warmth disappears the minute the lock in the door clicks, my body suddenly feeling cold.

 _ **-BREAK!-**_

 **Envy's P.O.V:**

"I'm telling you, ugly hag. She looked just like us." I hiss at Lust, eyes narrowing when she scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"So what if she had purple eyes? Father hasn't made any new homonculi." Lust states bluntly, sitting on Gluttony's shoulder and crossing her legs.

"Don't mean it ain't worth telling him." I snap back, pushing past her and her stupidly loyal pet. "Father." Calling to the being that created me and the other two, I stop just before his "throne."

He lifts his head from his hand, regarding me with those cold, calculating eyes of his. "What is it, Envy?" Father asks, sounding completely disinterested. He maintains that expression as I tell him about the girl, nodding once I finish. "So...You believe her to be another homonculus despite knowing I haven't made another since Wrath?" He inquires and I nod, watching as he waves his hand dismissively. "Bring her to me, then, and I'll decide what she is." Father commands before returning to his passive state. I grin widely, strutting out of the room to start looking for her. She was going to come back with me regardless if she wanted to or not.

I stop when I see Lust eyeing me and I sneer at her, brushing off her huff. "Got a problem, old hag?"

Lust clicks her tongue, "No. I just think you're completely wrong about this and have an obsession of this girl."

Anger bristles within me and I snarl, baring my teeth at her. "I don't have obsessions with those disgusting ants! How dare you even insinuate that, bitch!" Lust laughs at my harsh words, furthering the anger. "Tch! What do you know, hag?!" I growl and stomp off, trying to ignore her cackling as it followed after me.


	5. Chapter 5: The Bodyguard Hughes

_**Chapter Five: The Bodyguard, Hughes**_

 **Ellie's P.O.V:**

I stare at the steak steaming in front of me, my stomach rumbling from hunger but my mind preoccupied with my missing memories. Whenever I focus on it, it feels as though a never-ending black hole is forming within my mind and body. Tears sting my eyes and I roughly push the plate away from me, sniffling as I rub my eyes. ' _Maybe some air will help._ ' I think to myself and stand, leaving the comforts of the hotel room.

The chilled air hits me square in the face and I blink rapidly at the sting in my eyes, pulling my long-sleeved shirt tighter around me as I weave my way deeper into the bustling city. Of all days to not have a jacket. Why wasn't I wearing a jacket again? I shake my head and dodge the busy crowd, glancing briefly at various vendors and ignoring their calls. Rain hits the top of my head and I look up, getting pelted in the face.

It comes down in a sudden pour, my hair becoming plastered to my face and my clothes instantly getting soaked. "Great. Just fucking great." I grumble and shiver from another blast of cold air, goosebumps covering my skin. Several soldiers rush past me, yelling about an attack happening further into the city. I catch a few words and my eyes widen at the mention of Ed, my feet immediately chasing after the soldiers. I reach a group of men and one woman shooting at a much larger man with dark skin and red eyes. The color of rubies.

I go onto my tiptoes to see Ed sitting next to his shattered metal arm and I gasp, pushing through the human barrier as I call his name. "Ed! Edward!" Finally getting through, I notice Al in even worse condition than his brother. "Alphonse!"

"Ellie?!" Both the boys yell simultaneously, Ed struggling to get up to come to me.

"Lt. Havoc, grab her!" A dark haired man commands and a blonde man grabs at me, yelping when I stomp hard on his foot. "Tch!" The dark haired man practically lunges at me, grabbing me by my arms and ignoring my shrieks and protests.

"Get off me! Edward! Alphonse!" I reach desperately for the boys and scream when I'm picked up, flailing within the man's arms. "GET OFF!"

"Fullmetal!" My captive yells at Ed, his breath on my ear and making me shiver. "Who the hell is this girl?!" He grunts when I slam my heel into his shin, tightening his hold on me.

"That's...That's our friend, Ellie. Let her go, Mustang." Ed states and I'm instantly dropped, landing harshly on my rear. Squeaking from the pain, I glare at the one named Mustang before scrambling over to Ed and hugging him tightly.

"What happened?!" I ask, pulling away to look him over and touching the metal connected to his arm. "You're hurt!" Ed brushes off my concerns and pushes past me, hurrying over to Al. A hand lands on my shoulder and I glance up to see a pretty blonde woman smiling warmly at me.

"Hello. I'm Lt. Riza Hawkeye. Your name is Ellie, right?" She tugs me onto my feet as I nod, continuing to smile. Removing her hand, she clasps them behind her back. "That's a pretty name. Did your mother pick it?" I blanch at her question and watch as her smile fades.

"N...No. Ed...Edward gave it to me. I don't...remember my original name." I whisper and look down, biting my lip hard.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Hawkeye sighs and squeezes my shoulder before walking back to Mustang. Digging my teeth harder into my bottom lip, I glance at the brothers arguing. Ed briefly turns his attention to me then back to his brother, thrusting his thumb in my direction. I curl into myself a bit and fidget, stepping from foot to foot.

"So." Mustang's voice jerks me out of my trance and I turn to him, a frown pulling his lips down. "Who are you to Fullmetal?" He asks, raising an eyebrow at me and crossing his arms.

"I...I'm...um...he's...-" My stammering is cut off by Ed's interruption, standing next to me and glaring at Mustang.

"Like I said earlier, Mustang: She's a friend." He growls then leads me away back to Al and I stay next to them until we're forcefully escorted back to the hotel.

 _ **~BREAK!~**_

I stand next to Lt. Colonel Hughes as we see Ed and Major Armstrong off on the train to Resembool. "Please be safe." I insist, holding onto the window sill and leaning into the train.

Ed rolls his eyes, sighing. "Yeah, yeah. We'll be fine, Ellie. Stop worrying." He grumbles, flicking my forehead with his gloved finger before pinching my nose. "Hughes will keep you safe. Right, Lt. Colonel?" Ed asks, ruffling my hair as he eyes the older man.

"Definitely, Ed! Don't you worry about a thing!" Hughes replies enthusiastically, saluting Ed and Armstrong then plopping his hand heavily on my shoulder. "You guys have a safe trip, alright? Don't be afraid to give me a holler the next time you're in Central, you hear?" Both Ed and Armstrong salute Hughes and I wave them off, watching until the train smoke disappears from view. "Come on, now, Ellie. Time for you to meet my wife and my darling daughter!" Hughes grabs my hand and practically drags me off towards his home, where I stand awkwardly as his wife introduces herself as Gracia and their daughter, Elicia, clings to my leg.

"H...Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Ellie." I mumble, fidgeting and trying to not fall over from Elicia's tugging. Kneeling down, I beam at the little girl and ruffle her hair, making her giggle. "Nice to meet you, too, Elicia!" I hum at her giant grin and Hughes ushers me inside where dinner is already set up. My eyes widen at the amount of food and I dig my heels in as Hughes pushes me towards the table. "There's...There's no way I can eat all of this!" I shriek, grunting when I'm forced to sit down and gulping as he places a plate piled high with food.

"Nonsense! Gracia's cooking is delicious! Feel free to help yourself to much as you want!" He insists and sits across from me, Elicia to my left and Gracia to my right. I stutter and glance down at the food, taking a deep breath. By the time I'm allowed to go to the spare room, I can barely walk, feeling completely stuffed. I groan as I hit the bed, instantly falling asleep. Elicia's giggles wake me up and I shuffle out of the bedroom to see Hughes getting ready to leave for work. "Oh, you're up! Great! You're coming to work with me since I gotta keep an eye on you for Ed!" I pout and huff, making him laugh. "Now, don't give me that look! I'm just doing what he asked of me!" Hughes ruffles my hair and sends me off to get dressed, waiting for me by the front door. He guides me to his car, his arm around my shoulders as he helps me into the front seat.

The drive is silent and I stare out the window, watching the buildings pass by. I spot a building with large bouquets of lilies in front, the smell being carried by the gentle breeze and into the car through the open window. I jerk, something in the back of my mind itching and scratching at my skull.

"You okay, Ellie?" Hughes asks, glancing at me briefly as he turns the corner and the flower shop disappears.

I nod and turn my gaze to the floor of the car, my feet crossed over one another. I swallow thickly, a memory playing within my head: a bouquet of white lilies sitting in the middle of the table, a red bow tied around the vase and a card saying 'Happy Birthday-'. The name is blurred and I let out a shaky exhale of breath, causing Hughes to peek at me once more. "I'm okay. Thanks, Lt. Colonel." I mumble, rubbing my eyes and taking a deep breath. My mind wanders to the boys, wondering if they were okay and made it safely to Resembool and if Ed was getting patched up correctly.

We make it to Hughes' work and he ushers me inside, having me sit across him in his office. I glance around, eyeing the various and multiple pictures of his wife and kid. They all looked so happy, smiling widely. My heart lurches at the sight and I place the photo back down as I bite my lip. I feel jealousy staring at them, the feeling mixed with a sense of longing. Longing for whom, I'm unsure of.

"I can see you worrying about the Elric boys. Don't worry. Major Armstrong is with them. They're safe with him." Hughes reassures me with a smile, returning to the growing pile of paper on his desk.

"Is it alright if I go get some food?" I ask, desperate to get out of the stuffy office and away from the pictures. He nods and I instantly book it out the door, jumping down the stairs of the building. I welcome the fresh air and set down the street, smiling at the vendor owners. Stopping suddenly, a chill runs up my spine and I feel eyes on my back. Eyes filled with murderous intent. My breathing picks up and my chest constricts as I whirl around, meeting a set of purple eyes. Oh, god. They came back.

Without another thought, I take off back towards the military base, not caring if I bump into people. I almost make it before I'm suddenly body slammed into an alleyway and land on my left arm, scraping it against the concrete. Pain burns through my arm and I sit up, hissing at the cut on my forearm. "Ow..."

"Envy was right. You do have our eyes." A woman's voice catches my attention and I look up to see a pale woman with long, black hair framing her round face. Her red lips pull up into a smile and she crosses her slender arms under her bust, further accentuating them. "Are you really a homonculus, little girl? You would have healed by now if you were." She walks towards me, her heels clacking. I eye the tattoo on her chest and gulp as she squats in front of me. "But what else is there that resembles us?" A look of confusion crosses my face and she smirks, holding up her hand. My eyes widen as her fingers elongate and sharpen, my heart thumping in my throat. "Let's see if you have a stone like us."

I scream, hurriedly getting up and running towards the other end of the alleyway only for my path to be blocked by a large, stout man. My shoes skid across the gravel and I stop just before slamming into him, a wide grin on his face sending shivers down my spine.

"She smells like us, Lust. But she smells like human, too. Can I eat her?!" He asks and I step back, visibly shaking.

"No, you may not, Gluttony. Father wants to meet her so she has to stay in one piece." The woman named Lust replies, ignoring Gluttony's whine of disappointment. I whirl around to look at her, caught in a game of pickle between the two with Lust approaching me with her hand raised.

"P...Please." I whisper, my throat constricting from fear as she stands right in front of me and drags a finger against my cheek. Blood trails down and drops off my jaw onto my collarbone. "Please...I don't...I don't know what you're talking about." Begging, I scream as she lunges at me, stopping just an inch before my face.

"I smell him. I smell him! The Ishvalan!" Gluttony cries out behind me and Lust pulls away, humming.

"Well, well. I guess it's your lucky day, faker." She smirks at me and walks away, calling Gluttony. The large man bounds past me, eagerly waddling to her side and pointing ahead of him. I'm left alone in the alleyway and I break down, my tears mixing with the blood on my face. Forcing myself to walk, I stumble back to Central HQ and look for Hughes, sniffling.

"Lt. Colonel...Hughes!" I cry out for the older man, rubbing the blood off my cheek. "Hughes!" Soldiers move out of my way like I'm an infectious disease, scrambling to get away from me. He comes scurrying out of his office, eyes wide with worry as he runs up to me.

"Ellie! Is everything okay?! You're bleeding!" Hughes cups my face and I expect a sting to come from the cut on my cheek yet I feel nothing. "I don't see any cuts or anything on you. Is this someone else's blood?" He asks and I stare at him, perplexed as I shake my head. "Well...in any case, go wash up. The bathroom is just down the hall." Pushing me gently, he ushers me to the bathroom and I hurry over to the mirror. What did he mean there were no cuts?! I felt the pain on my cheek. The pain on my forearm.

Glancing in the mirror, my eyes widen at the sight. There was nothing on my cheek, the skin smoothed over as though nothing had cut it at all. "What the hell?" I whisper to myself, leaning in closer and inspecting the skin. Immediately pulling away, I look at my forearm and once again, there was nothing except dried blood surrounding where the scrape was.

Just what the hell is going on?


End file.
